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Saudia suspends Toronto over feud

Saudi Arabia has halted all diplomatic relations with Canada. The Arab country has expelled the Canadian ambassador and suspended the Saudia Airlines nonstop flights between Jeddah and Toronto starting from August 13. The feud originates following Canada’s demands for the release of imprisoned activists for women’s rights. However, the Saudi government reacted firmly, asserting that the detained activists were legally prosecuted and that Canada’s observations denoted a “blatant interference in the kingdom’s domestic affairs”. Saudi has “put on hold all new business and investment transactions with Canada while retaining its right to take further action”, said the Saudi foreign ministry in a public statement. A verified Saudi Twitter account shared a disturbing image of an Air Canada airplane flying straight into Toronto’s CN Tower, including an Arabic saying that translates, “he who with what doesn’t concern him finds what doesn’t please him”. The disturbing Tweet, which brought back September 11 remembrances, was deleted a few hours after it was posted. Saudia Airlines announced the suspension of its four weekly flights between Jeddah and Toronto, operated by the airline’s newest Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. Saudia’s Toronto service had been operating since October 2013, initially serviced by the airline’s Boeing 777-300ERs. The Arab carrier became the fourth Gulf airline operating flights to Canada after Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways.
Source: Airways Magazine